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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
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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: nail · pitcher · field · track · object · press · game · bat

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — newspapers
  4. field — farmland
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — a path
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. object — to protest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. game — a match
  15. field — a subject
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. track — to keep track
  19. press — to push
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. field — for sport

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