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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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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: land · vault · stock · spring · pitch · board · pop · calf

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spring — of water
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. board — to get on
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pop — music
  14. vault — a safe
  15. land — ground
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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