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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: net · wax · bank · field · vault · drill · mouse · ball

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. field — farmland
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — a safe
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. field — a subject
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — in sport

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