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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: scale · sharp · cell · saw · court · vault · board · ruler

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. board — a committee
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cell — a phone
  7. court — of a king
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — of law
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — to get on
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. scale — for weighing

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