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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · track · cabinet · field · bark · vault · bear · stand

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — for sport
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a path
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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