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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: field · stock · branch · firm · vault · content · wound · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. field — farmland
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — for sport
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — shares
  18. branch — a division
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — a company
  22. vault — a safe
  23. content — the amount
  24. firm — decided

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