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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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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: dip · vault · scale · field · mouse · bass · pass · cell

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bass — the fish
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — farmland
  20. cell — a phone
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. scale — for weighing

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