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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: pitch · fan · saw · wound · pop · craft · toast · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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 — a subject
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wound — an injury
  10. field — for sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. field — farmland
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. toast — bread
  17. pop — to visit
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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