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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
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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 · bound · rash · vault · wound · chair · degree · season

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bound — tied together
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — obliged
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. season — of the year
  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