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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: squash · mine · scale · mark · vault · bank · rash · march

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mark — a trace
  19. vault — a safe
  20. scale — in music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — for money

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