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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: track · field · tube · stand · spell · file · pitcher · press

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — letters
  3. field — farmland
  4. file — a line of people
  5. press — to push
  6. track — a path
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. field — a subject
  12. press — a publisher
  13. file — a document
  14. tube — a container
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. field — for sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — to bear
  21. track — a song
  22. tube — the underground
  23. file — a tool
  24. spell — a short time

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