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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 · deal · wave · squash · pit · racket · field · pitcher

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — to handle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wave — with your hand

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