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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 · cue · stock · sharp · can · band · trunk · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. band — a music group
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cue — for pool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cue — a signal
  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