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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: nail · rock · field · fall · stock · pitcher · current · jam

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. field — farmland
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fall — to drop
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. field — for sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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