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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.

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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: march · ground · stem · board · mouse · vault · bay · stock

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stock — goods
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — a position
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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