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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: mouse · scale · press · stem · game · bound · vault · pit

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — certain
  19. press — to push
  20. pit — in a race
  21. game — a match
  22. scale — size or range
  23. game — wild animals
  24. press — newspapers

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