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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: row · bulb · ruler · vault · fork · present · stock · field

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. row — to paddle
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. present — the time now
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. field — for sport
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. field — farmland
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. present — a gift
  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