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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 · drill · object · jam · spring · mine · ball · deal

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — a thing
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — to protest
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. drill — army training
  12. ball — a dance
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — for digging
  18. drill — the tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. object — an aim
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — to handle

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