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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. scale — in music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — a subject
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fork — in a road
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a great time

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