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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · pop · file · vault · coach · race · scale

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. file — a tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pop — soda
  23. file — a document
  24. nail — for a hammer

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