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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: mouse · ground · field · track · deal · cap · pitcher · nail

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ground — a position
  4. cap — of ice
  5. track — a path
  6. deal — to handle
  7. field — a subject
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. field — farmland
  19. track — a song
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ground — crushed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — the animal

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