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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: trunk · date · pop · ball · saw · suit · vault · scale

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. suit — clothes
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — soda
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — a safe
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — in cards
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a great time
  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