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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: bulb · stock · stand · fine · branch · field · chip · cap

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — a subject
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. field — for sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cap — of ice
  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