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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. branch — a division
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. file — a tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. file — a line of people
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — the earth
  15. swing — music
  16. scale — in music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. game — wild animals
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ground — a position
  22. file — a document
  23. ground — crushed
  24. scale — for weighing

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