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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.

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: scale · rash · degree · land · can · march · vault · temple

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — from a university
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. land — ground
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. march — music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. land — a country

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