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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: present · scale · prune · roll · bore · band · vault · racket

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. present — there
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. roll — a cake
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — a gift
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — a list
  14. band — a ring
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — size or range
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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