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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: squash · fall · stock · bass · vault · trunk

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — shares
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. squash — to crush
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe

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