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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · vault · current · perch · scale · rash · charge · wound

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — in control
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. charge — a price
  24. wound — an injury

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