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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. last — final
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — a country
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. land — to come down
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. vault — a safe

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