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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: bore · sharp · pitcher · pitch · wax · field · coach · track

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. field — farmland
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. field — a subject
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bore — to tire
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. field — for sport
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. track — to keep track
  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