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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: bark · scale · last · object · vault · wake · ball · cell

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — to protest
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — in music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — to shout
  7. last — to go on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. last — final
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bark — of a tree

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