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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: chest · stand · patient · fork · vault · stock · plane · fine

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — to bear
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — a safe
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — shares
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fine — all right
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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