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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · press · field · fall · chest · bank · bore

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. field — a subject
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. field — farmland
  22. bank — for money
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chest — of your body

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