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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 120 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: vault · wax · bowl · dip · ruler · scale · capital · bulb

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wax — to grow
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — a safe
  24. capital — a city

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