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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: fall · bark · pop · pitch · bore · scale · vault · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pop — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fall — the season
  17. bore — to drill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. scale — in music
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pop — soda

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