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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.

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: scale · cap · mine · club · pop · ruler · vault · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. pop — to visit
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — size or range
  6. club — a group
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cap — a hat
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. scale — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  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