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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.

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: vault · court · mug · fall · bore · mine · scale · degree

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — in music
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. court — of a king
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. court — of law
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — to drill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mug — a cup
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bore — to tire

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