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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · field · saw · stock · stick · mark · net · vault

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. mark — a trace
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. field — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. vault — a safe
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. net — for catching
  14. stock — goods
  15. row — a line
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — a grade
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — to pay attention

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