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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — a division
  10. bat — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — a container
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. vault — a safe
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. squash — the sport
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bat — in an idiom

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