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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: staff · drill · vault · ground · file · bat · bound · toast

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. toast — bread
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ground — the earth
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — army training
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — a position
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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