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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: cap · wound · craft · game · vault · drill · pop · rest

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. drill — army training
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a hat
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — the tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — a match
  23. craft — a skill
  24. game — a kind of play

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