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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: stock · ball · cap · drill · ground · vault · stand · band

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a great time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cap — of ice
  7. band — a music group
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ground — crushed
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. band — a ring
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a rubber band

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