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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: stock · vault · jam · suit · wake · rock · clip · stand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stock — shares
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. suit — to fit
  12. clip — for paper
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rock — music
  19. clip — a video
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — a trail
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

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