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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: plane · pass · field · saw · vault · stock · branch · can

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pass — a permit
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — for sport
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — to be able to
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — a division

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