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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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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: bark · vault · scale · nail · kid · chip · stick · temple

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — to shout
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. vault — a safe

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