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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.

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: court · rest · scale · vault · mouse · mark · land · coach

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. vault — a safe
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — ground
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — of law
  16. scale — in music
  17. court — for sport
  18. land — a country
  19. mark — a grade
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a trace
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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