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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: pitcher · saw · field · squash · wound · rock · date · suit

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — clothes

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