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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: vault · can · drill · scale · deal · ground · stand · prune

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. drill — army training
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ground — a position
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — a practice
  24. scale — size or range

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