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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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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: fine · vault · lash · scale · key · pound · firm · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pound — a weight
  3. key — the most important part
  4. vault — a safe
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — in music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. firm — decided
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — all right
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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