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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · band · vault · temple · fan · scale · saw · present

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a music group
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — there
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. march — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. present — a gift
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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