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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: pit · field · fine · scale · spell · pitcher · march · bore

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. march — music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spell — a short time
  5. field — farmland
  6. spell — letters
  7. field — a subject
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — magic
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. march — the month
  22. field — for sport
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — to drill

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