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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — for catching
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cell — in biology
  9. squash — the sport
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fall — the season
  13. capital — a city
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — after costs
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. net — in sport

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