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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 120 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: present · vault · club · pop · stock · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — a safe
  3. club — a group
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — for golf
  7. drill — a practice
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pop — to visit

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