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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. field — a subject
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cue — a signal
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs

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