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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: rock · stock · march · present · field · pitcher · deal · mug

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. field — a subject
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rock — music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. mug — a face
  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