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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: scale · squash · row · lash · pop · vault · capital · game

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. capital — a city
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — size or range
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pop — to visit
  20. row — a line
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — a match

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