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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: land · ball · drill · game · bay · vault · current · sharp

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. current — of water
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — happening now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — electric
  15. land — to come down
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a dance

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