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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.

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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: row · pitch · bank · scale · root · spring · vault · pop

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — a safe
  9. root — of a plant
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. row — a line
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — of water
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — the season
  24. row — a quarrel

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