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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — for sport
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. land — to come down
  18. court — of law
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. object — a thing
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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