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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: calf · mark · club · drill · pitcher · toast · content · vault

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — a group
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. club — for golf
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — happy
  12. club — for dancing
  13. drill — a practice
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. content — the amount
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — a trace
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a grade
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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