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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: shower · court · jam · mate · lie · key · vault · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — a partner
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — rain
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mate — a friend
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — a safe
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. key — for a lock
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — to recline
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — to breed
  24. shower — to wash

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