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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: field · land · saw · root · pitch · wind · mug · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — a country
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a face
  20. root — of a word
  21. mug — to rob
  22. field — farmland
  23. root — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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