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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.

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: arm · content · squash · bass · cabinet · vault · shower · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the fish
  7. squash — the sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bass — low music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — to crush
  18. scale — in music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — happy
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — rain
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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