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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 116 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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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: pitcher · field · cell · capital · lash · mouse · bay · pit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. field — for sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. capital — a city
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. field — a subject
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — money
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. field — farmland

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