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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: charge · vault · fall · stock · bass · squash · bark · suit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fall — the season
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stock — goods
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — to shout
  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