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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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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: pop · trunk · deal · vault · mark · fork · club · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pop — soda
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fork — in a road
  13. vault — a safe
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — music
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. scale — in music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mark — a trace

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