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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: squash · root · stand · lash · vault · mate · stock · field

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — shares
  9. mate — to breed
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stand — to bear
  14. squash — to crush
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. field — a subject
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — farmland
  22. mate — a partner
  23. field — for sport
  24. vault — a safe

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