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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: field · swing · board · pit · nail · trunk · pitcher · racket

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — to play on
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pit — a hole
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — to get on
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — a subject
  21. swing — in golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. swing — music

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