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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: stick · coach · scale · vault · bear · nail · cabinet · racket

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — a safe

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