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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 116 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: shower · vault · drill · calf · stock · club · prune · bowl

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. shower — rain
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — army training
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — a group
  10. drill — a practice
  11. shower — to wash
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. club — for dancing
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — shares
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. club — for golf
  21. vault — a safe
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  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