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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
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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: march · nail · mark · present · scale · firm · shower · vault

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — to wash
  5. present — there
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. present — a gift
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. scale — size or range
  12. firm — decided
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — in music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — rain
  20. firm — steady
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — a company
  24. present — the time now

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