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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
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: roll · stock · patient · pass · plane · vault · degree · stand

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stock — shares
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. degree — temperature
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — a tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — a safe
  22. roll — a list
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — an aircraft

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