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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: rule · vault · bark · club · scale · pitcher · content · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — happy
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — size or range
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — the amount
  24. vault — a safe

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