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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · scale · bark · rash · file · mark · vault · capital

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. capital — money
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rash — hasty
  12. file — a document
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. object — an aim
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a city
  24. mark — a grade

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