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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. present — the time now
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — there
  12. field — farmland
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — for sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stock — goods
  20. mate — a friend
  21. drill — army training
  22. mug — a face
  23. drill — a practice
  24. field — a subject

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