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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 120 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: charge · scale · vault · club · arm · tear · pass · last

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. last — final
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. charge — a price
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — a permit
  16. last — to go on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — in control
  22. vault — a safe
  23. last — finally
  24. club — for golf

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