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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · scale · swing · cabinet · kid · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. press — newspapers
  10. vault — a safe
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kid — child
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — a publisher

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