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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 116 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.

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: vault · season · scale · rest · game · coach · row · rash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — hasty
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — wild animals
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rest — a break
  21. game — a match
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — of the year
  24. row — a line

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