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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 116 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: charge · staff · mark · club · squash · vault · wound · scale

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. squash — the sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. charge — in control
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. scale — in music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. charge — electricity
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. staff — employees
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — a stick
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — a trace

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