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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. squash — to crush
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — in music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — a division
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. branch — of a bank

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