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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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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 · fork · net · drill · present · club · pound · roll

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. roll — a list
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. drill — a practice
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — after costs
  14. drill — army training
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. club — for dancing
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. present — there
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for golf

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