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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: stand · pass · stock · pitch · kick · current · mug · field

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. field — farmland
  3. mug — a face
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — a permit
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. current — happening now

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