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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: pitch · pitcher · mouse · field · chair · current · spring · press

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — to push
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — electric
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — for sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — of water

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