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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: perch · lie · vault · game · bank · chip · scale · tube

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tube — a container
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a match
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — size or range
  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