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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 120 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: court · arm · lie · scale · bank · vault · mouse · chip

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. court — of a king
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bank — for money
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. court — of law
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — for sport

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