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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · mine · drill · vault · stock · shower · kid · bass

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kid — child
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — shares
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — the tool
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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