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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: vault · prune · track · scale · stock · racket · bark · leaves

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. track — a path
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — a song
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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