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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: can · spring · vault · bowl · field · drill · deal · ball

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — the season
  6. field — farmland
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. field — a subject
  10. spring — a coil
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ball — a great time
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — army training
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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