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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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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: squash · pitcher · field · trunk · pass · rest · firm · rush

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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