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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: vault · prune · rash · mine · field · bear · kick · stock

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — in football
  3. field — for sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — farmland
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rash — hasty
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stock — shares
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. field — a subject

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