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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. court — for sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. foot — a measure
  19. court — of law
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — to come from
  22. vault — a safe
  23. court — of a king
  24. stem — of a plant

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