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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: shower · board · stock · field · scale · stand · ball · current

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. shower — rain
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. board — to get on
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a dance
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — of water
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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