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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: field · pitcher · current · fall · press · present · mate · drill

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — for sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — the season
  6. press — a publisher
  7. drill — a practice
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — army training
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a partner
  17. present — there
  18. current — of water
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — farmland
  21. press — to push
  22. mate — to breed
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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