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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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468
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: bulb · vault · drill · racket · foot · fall · rash · stock

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. foot — a measure
  5. vault — a safe
  6. drill — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stock — shares
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rash — a series
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — army training
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fall — the season
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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