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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mug — a cup
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mug — a face
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pound — a weight
  23. land — ground
  24. face — part of the head

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