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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: stem · game · march · stock · pit · field · bore · fan

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — shares
  8. game — a match
  9. march — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stock — goods
  15. field — a subject
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — to come from

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