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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 116 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: row · net · stand · present · pitcher · deal · field · wax

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a line
  8. present — there
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. field — for sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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