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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.

Make a worksheet

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: vault · ball · scale · nail · chair · foot · sharp · chest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chair — a leader
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chest — a box
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. scale — in music

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