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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 · last · fine · ball · toast · drill · pop · bound

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fine — high quality
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a dance
  6. drill — a practice
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. last — finally
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. last — to go on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pop — to visit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. fine — all right
  22. last — final
  23. drill — army training
  24. toast — bread

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