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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: key · wound · roll · calf · degree · bound · vault · scale

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — tied together
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — for a lock
  12. degree — temperature
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bound — certain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — in music
  24. calf — of the leg

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