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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 120 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 · bat · vault · present · ground · rock · nail · firm

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. present — a gift
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. vault — a safe
  9. firm — decided
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — the earth
  14. present — there
  15. bat — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. present — the time now
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ground — crushed

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