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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: roll · bay · spell · vault · rock · staff · branch · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — a safe
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — magic
  15. rock — a stone
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. field — farmland
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — a subject
  24. bay — a horse colour

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