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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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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: pit · toast · track · bound · field · stock · nail · stand

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bound — obliged
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bound — certain
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — to bear
  19. track — a path
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — bread
  24. field — farmland

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