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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
468
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 · stand · spring · stock · club · press · drill · fan

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — a subject
  4. club — for dancing
  5. field — farmland
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — for sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. drill — the tool
  12. club — a group
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spring — of water
  16. stock — goods
  17. press — to push
  18. drill — army training
  19. club — for golf
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. press — newspapers

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