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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 · vault · wax · fine · stock · board · last · calf

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stock — goods
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — shares
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. scale — in music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — finally
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — to get on
  19. last — final
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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