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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: wind · mouse · pitch · staff · degree · swing · field · bore

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. degree — an amount
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. field — a subject
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. field — farmland
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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