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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: bear · drill · vault · bass · field · wake · stock · charge

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — a practice
  6. field — farmland
  7. charge — in control
  8. drill — army training
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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