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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. vault — a safe
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — in music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — for weighing
  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