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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · stick · field · pitcher · game · object · saw · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. field — farmland
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — to protest
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — an aim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. field — a subject
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — to move gently

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