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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
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: spell · pound · land · stick · scale · vault · current · mouse

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spell — a short time
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. spell — letters
  17. land — a country
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. current — happening now

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