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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: stand · vault · club · mark · field · object · saw · bear

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. club — for golf
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — a thing
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. field — farmland
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. field — for sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — a subject
  24. club — a group

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