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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: scale · march · chip · vault · wave · court · mark · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. march — the month
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mark — a grade
  14. court — of law
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pound — a weight
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. court — of a king

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