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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 120 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: march · mine · straw · scale · pass · root · vault · trunk

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. vault — a safe
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. scale — in music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. root — of a word
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — to succeed

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