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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: branch · fine · can · court · bat · scale · face · vault

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. scale — in music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — to point toward
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. face — to confront
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. court — for sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — size or range
  23. face — part of the head
  24. can — a tin

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