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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 116 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
468
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: cabinet · bass · club · field · stock · cold · vault · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — shares
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cold — not warm
  14. club — a group
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cold — an illness
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for golf

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