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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: last · present · field · pitch · mug · bore · bank · racket

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. last — final
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — a subject
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — to go on
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. last — finally
  19. present — there
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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