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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: row · pitcher · field · board · nail · ground · rush · stock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — a committee
  4. row — a line
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — the earth
  12. field — a subject
  13. ground — crushed
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ground — a position
  16. field — farmland
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. field — for sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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