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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: nail · last · drill · club · row · calf · vault · cap

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — of ice
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — final
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — to go on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. last — finally
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. club — a group
  24. row — a quarrel

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