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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. race — humankind
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rest — a break
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cell — in a prison

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