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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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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: scale · fork · bark · rest · vault · spell · board · fall

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — a break
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — magic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — in a road

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