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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — a division
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ruler — for measuring

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