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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
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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: nail · march · stem · spell · pitcher · vault · band · cabinet

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a music group
  21. march — the month
  22. spell — magic
  23. band — a ring
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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