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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: scale · lash · cabinet · patient · bear · pit · vault · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pit — in a race

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