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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 · sharp · rock · squash · scale · pitcher · mark · wound

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — in music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — a stone
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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