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

Word bank: rule · prune · vault · kid · stand · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — child
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — a law
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. scale — in music
  16. rule — government
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — size or range

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