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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 · ground · stock · lean · race · racket · field · saw

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. field — farmland
  4. race — humankind
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — a position
  19. lean — to bend
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — crushed

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