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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: roll · season · patient · pit · stock · field · current · foot

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. roll — a list
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — goods
  9. pit — in a race
  10. field — a subject
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — happening now
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. field — for sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — in 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