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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: cell · season · can · vault · roll · arm · stand · field

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. vault — a safe
  9. field — a subject
  10. season — of the year
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — in sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. roll — a list
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stand — to bear

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