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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: jam · date · rest · bear · stock · field · vault · lie

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. field — for sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. field — a subject
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lie — to recline
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. field — farmland
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. date — on the calendar

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