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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: ground · cap · ball · pitcher · rush · prune · field · board

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — for sport
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a committee
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. board — to get on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — a position
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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