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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bore — to tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. mark — a trace

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