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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: vault · fall · scale · pop · date · march · bank · temple

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — soda
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — in music
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — the season
  17. pop — to visit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — a place of worship

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