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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: degree · field · mug · board · leaves · pitcher · rock · mine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. field — a subject
  3. mug — a face
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — to get on
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — for sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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