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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: bowl · scale · swing · pit · vault · present · deal · face

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. swing — music
  12. present — there
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pit — a hole
  19. present — the time now
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — a gift
  22. deal — to handle
  23. scale — in music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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