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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: nail · vault · season · pound · fall · swing · row · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. swing — in golf
  19. row — a line
  20. season — in sport
  21. pound — a weight
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pound — to hit hard

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