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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 116 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: present · vault · capital · wake · kick · rash · scale · rock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — hasty
  5. kick — in football
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. present — there
  11. capital — money
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. capital — a city
  15. rash — a series
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. present — the time now
  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