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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: charge · staff · vault · wind · scale · bowl

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. scale — size or range
  6. charge — in control
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. staff — a stick
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. scale — in music
  18. wind — moving air

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