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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: bear · can · press · pitcher · degree · race · field · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — for sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — the tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — a subject
  17. degree — from a university
  18. press — newspapers
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — a publisher
  23. drill — army training
  24. bear — the animal

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