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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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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: drill · present · craft · vault · cap · kid · deal · stock

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. present — a gift
  3. kid — to tease
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — of ice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cap — a lid
  12. drill — a practice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — the time now
  15. kid — child
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — goods
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — a safe
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — there

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