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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: vault · root · scale · current · date · stand · fall · field

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. field — for sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. vault — a safe
  14. field — farmland
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — in music
  17. field — a subject
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — of water

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