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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 120 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 · current · bank · drill · field · present · stock · capital

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — a gift
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — electric
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — a city
  11. current — happening now
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stock — shares
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — farmland
  20. present — there
  21. capital — money
  22. field — a subject
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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