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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — completely
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. foot — a measure
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. land — ground
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — a price
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. charge — in control
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — to come down
  24. mark — a grade

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