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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 116 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: scale · court · bowl · vault · pit · deal · band · bound

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. court — of law
  5. band — a music group
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bound — tied together
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. court — of a king
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — a hole

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