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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: ground · press · staff · dip · toast · pitcher · field · bass

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. dip — to sink
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — to push
  6. bass — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. staff — a stick
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bass — low music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. field — a subject
  24. pitcher — a jug

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