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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: board · stock · face · ruler · row · field · patient · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — farmland
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — a subject
  14. vault — a safe
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — for sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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