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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · vault · mug · spring · ball · bound · shower · row

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. mug — a cup
  6. scale — in music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bound — tied together
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — certain
  11. vault — a safe
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bound — obliged
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. row — a line
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mug — a face
  19. spring — a coil
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a dance

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