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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · chip · drill · vault · pass · wake · mug · track

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. track — a song
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — army training
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — a path
  17. chip — for betting
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mug — to rob
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fork — in a road
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com