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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: capital · lean · fine · stock · field · patient · calf · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — a city
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — thin
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. field — a subject
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stock — goods
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — farmland
  22. fine — all right
  23. vault — a safe
  24. capital — money

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