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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 120 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: saw · tube · band · racket · fine · craft · field · pitcher

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a skill
  6. band — a music group
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. craft — boats
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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