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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: vault · present · cue · cap · drill · scale

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — there
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. present — a gift
  11. cue — for pool
  12. scale — size or range
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cue — a signal
  17. scale — in music
  18. cap — of ice

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