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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.

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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: saw · deal · vault · drill · capital · toast · scale · pound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. capital — a city
  3. pound — a weight
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — in music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — bread
  24. capital — money

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