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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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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: firm · stand · stock · arm · vault · field · pit · bat

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stand — to bear
  19. field — a subject
  20. firm — steady
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. firm — decided
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. arm — part of the body

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