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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 120 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: scale · vault · field · mark · fall · temple · mate · chest

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mark — a grade
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. field — for sport
  8. chest — a box
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fall — to drop
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — a friend
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — in music
  24. fall — the season

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