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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — music
  5. field — farmland
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. object — a thing
  9. fall — the season
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. object — to protest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — to visit

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