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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: dip · mark · vault · current · stock · bay · fall · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — goods
  9. fall — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. current — electric
  12. march — the month
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stock — shares
  18. current — happening now
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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