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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: stand · stock · leaves · spring · field · present · cap · pitcher

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stock — goods
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spring — of water
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a hat
  20. present — there
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  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