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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 120 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 · spring · stock · vault · field · mate · lean · fork

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. field — farmland
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. field — a subject
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spring — the season
  14. lean — thin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — goods
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — shares

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