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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: cap · bound · drill · last · vault · pit · perch · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — army training
  4. last — final
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bound — obliged
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — a lid
  11. last — to go on
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cap — of ice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. last — finally
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — a safe
  23. perch — the fish
  24. drill — the tool

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