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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. field — a subject
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. deal — to handle
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. field — farmland
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitch — completely
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. march — music

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