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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: face · track · vault · pound · club · scale · suit · bat

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — a path
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bat — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. track — to keep track
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. club — for dancing
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — in cards
  14. face — to confront
  15. suit — to fit
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a song
  21. club — a group
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — to point toward

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