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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: deal · pitch · current · bay · wound · field · cabinet · pit

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. field — farmland
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wound — an injury
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. current — electric
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — happening now

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