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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: net · stand · rock · pitcher · scale · fan · field · pass

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. field — farmland
  5. rock — a stone
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rock — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. net — after costs
  13. scale — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. field — a subject
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. net — for catching
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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