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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: mug · fan · wound · ball · row · vault · game · scale

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. row — a line
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — a match
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mug — to rob

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