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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: foot · spring · pop · vault · plane · scale · file · mouse

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. file — a tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a document
  20. scale — in music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — 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