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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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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: vault · pound · drill · snap · can · cap · kick · field

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pound — a weight
  4. drill — army training
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — farmland
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. snap — to click
  15. cap — a lid
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — of ice
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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