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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — music
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fork — in a road

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