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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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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: court · bank · row · vault · land · scale · stick · file

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — of a king
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. scale — size or range
  19. land — a country
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. vault — a safe
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — to come down

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