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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: sharp · game · scale · fine · rule · pitch · perch · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. game — wild animals
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rule — a law
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rule — government
  22. scale — in music
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitch — completely

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