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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: vault · scale · date · leaves · field · nail · squash · stick

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — a safe
  3. scale — in music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — a subject
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. field — for sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — size or range
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. field — farmland

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