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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 120 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: pitcher · bay · march · field · mug · bark · saw · racket

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. mug — a cup
  13. march — the month
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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