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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 116 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 · pitch · field · bore · game · land · staff

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. field — a subject
  4. pitch — completely
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — ground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — farmland
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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