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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: scale · game · vault · capital · ruler · swing · lean · drill

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. capital — a city
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — the tool
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — thin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. capital — money
  19. swing — to play on
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to bend
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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