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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 116 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: band · vault · bulb · fork · scale · rash · cap · ruler

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a music group
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rash — a series
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — hasty
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cap — a hat

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