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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pound — a weight
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lie — to recline
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a dance
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. field — a subject
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. kick — in football
  24. deal — a big deal

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