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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: pass · file · pitcher · field · cap · jam · firm · board

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. file — a tool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. firm — decided
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. field — for sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — to get on
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a document
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. field — a subject
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — a tight spot

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