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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: current · key · vault · fall · mark · ruler · stock · cold

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — a trace
  5. current — of water
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stock — shares
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — electric
  19. cold — not warm
  20. current — happening now
  21. fall — the season
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — the most important part

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