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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. field — a subject
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — a country
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rock — music
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — ground
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. field — farmland
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. field — for sport
  24. stand — to bear

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