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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.

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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: fall · racket · scale · vault · ruler · stock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. vault — a safe
  8. scale — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — the season

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