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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 · bowl · cell · vault · roll · pop · staff · bore

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. staff — employees
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. roll — a cake
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — to visit
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pop — soda

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