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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.

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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: stand · stock · scale · fall · bark · vault · pitcher · wake

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stock — shares
  12. scale — in music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fall — the season
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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