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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 · chest · vault · jam · field · toast · cue · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — of your body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. field — a subject
  7. scale — size or range
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chest — a box
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. toast — bread
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. field — farmland
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — a hint
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cue — for pool
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — for sport
  24. scale — in music

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