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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 · club · scale · drill · rule · pop

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. drill — the tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — a law
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — in music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for golf

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