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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: cap · drill · patient · can · vault · bark · content · object

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — the amount
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — to be able to
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cap — of ice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. drill — the tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — an aim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — a tin

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