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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · racket · scale · bore · vault · last · band · object

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. band — a ring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spring — the season
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — final
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a music group
  16. last — to go on
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — an aim
  20. last — finally
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — size or range

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