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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 116 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
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: fall · scale · key · mouse · craft · vault · stock · march

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stock — goods
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fall — the season
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — shares
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. craft — a skill
  18. key — for a lock
  19. march — music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — boats
  24. march — the month

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