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

Word bank: charge · scale · vault · club · arm · tear

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — in music
  4. club — a group
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — electricity
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — size or range
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — for dancing
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — in control
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tear — to rip
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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