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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: calf · vault · land · rest · stock · stem · bear · fine

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — a break
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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