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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · arm · mug · bowl · mine · vault · scale · stock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. vault — a safe
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — in music
  15. mug — a face
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stock — goods
  20. mine — for digging
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stock — shares
  24. file — a 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