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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 120 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: drill · cabinet · club · vault · hand · season · ruler · prune

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. club — a group
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — army training
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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