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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: scale · bulb · pitcher · branch · cold · vault · mouse · bore

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. scale — in music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bore — to tire
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — a division

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