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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: saw · mark · racket · vault · court · scale · branch · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — for sport
  7. roll — a list
  8. court — of a king
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. vault — a safe
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. branch — a division
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. scale — in music

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