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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 · drill · capital · vault · jam · prune · bay · calf

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. capital — money
  14. drill — army training
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. drill — a practice
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stock — shares

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