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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: ball · march · cap · vault · rash · saw · toast · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cap — of ice
  3. toast — bread
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cap — a hat
  8. march — music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ball — a great time
  18. march — the month
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rash — on the skin

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