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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: stock · fork · scale · vault · charge · spring · chip · fall

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — in control
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spring — of water
  13. fall — to drop
  14. scale — in music
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — shares
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fork — to eat with

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