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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: roll · cap · stand · drill · wax · stick · vault · net

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stand — to bear
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — in sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. net — after costs
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. roll — a list
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — of ice
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. roll — a cake

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