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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. field — a subject
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. vault — a safe
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rule — a law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — a position
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — farmland

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