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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 120 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: wax · chip · bear · field · stock · pass · vault · march

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chip — for betting
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. march — music
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — to eat
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — goods

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