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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: perch · scale · sharp · field · vault · file · bank · pitcher

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a document
  6. scale — in music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — a subject
  15. scale — size or range
  16. file — a tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. file — a line of people
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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