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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mug — a face
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. field — for sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ground — a position
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. field — farmland
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rush — to hurry

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