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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: vault · spell · chest · hide · scale · bowl · stock · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — a division
  6. stock — shares
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spell — letters
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spell — magic
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chest — a box

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