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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: field · rash · pitcher · degree · mine · mug · mark · pit

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. field — a subject
  3. mug — a cup
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — a face
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — farmland
  9. pit — a hole
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rash — a series
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — a grade
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — for sport
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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