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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: net · stem · scale · jam · vault · rule · kick · mate

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — after costs
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. scale — in music
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. rule — government
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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