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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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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: pitcher · field · wax · race · ball · stand · deal · bore

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stand — to bear
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. field — a subject
  24. race — a contest

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