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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.

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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: pop · stick · vault · mate · stand · scale · pound · fall

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — the season
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — to bear
  10. scale — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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