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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: mate · vault · bat · game · can · scale · kick · file

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bat — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a match
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mate — a partner
  14. file — a document
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kick — in football
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. can — to be able to
  24. vault — a safe

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