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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.

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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 · vault · pop · safe · stick · wound · kid · bat

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — soda
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — in music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — child
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — to visit
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. scale — size or range
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — music
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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