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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · row · pit · stand · stock · stick · prune · rush

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — farmland
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a line
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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