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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · net · bowl · vault · drill · bore · trunk · degree

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. degree — from a university
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. net — for catching
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. net — in sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. degree — temperature
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. net — after costs
  21. vault — a safe
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bore — to tire
  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