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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: bank · vault · bass · track · squash · craft · scale · race

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — in music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — the arms race
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — a safe
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — a contest
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — humankind
  22. scale — size or range
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. track — a path

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