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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: field · current · bowl · coach · stock · march · drill · nail

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. field — farmland
  5. march — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — for sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — a subject
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — to roll

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