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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.

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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: pitch · fine · mug · press · degree · field · bear · bulb

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fine — high quality
  3. field — a subject
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. field — farmland
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — all right
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — temperature
  12. field — for sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mug — to rob
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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