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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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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: cell · club · cold · last · pass · scale · racket · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. scale — in music
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cold — not warm
  13. club — for golf
  14. cell — in biology
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. last — final
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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