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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 116 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: staff · drill · fine · vault · dip · track · straw · pound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. drill — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — a path
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — to sink
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. track — a song
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pound — a weight
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. drill — army training

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