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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rock — a stone
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. field — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — the animal

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