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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: board · fall · mate · vault · degree · current · rock · stock

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — from a university
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stock — goods
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — a committee
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — of water
  23. fall — the season
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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