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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — to breed
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. field — for sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bank — of a river
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. field — farmland
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitch — completely

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