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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: bass · vault · spell · drill · sharp · kid · bay · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kid — child
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kid — to tease
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spell — a short time
  15. drill — army training
  16. spell — letters
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — magic
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — a horse colour

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