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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spring — of water
  19. field — farmland
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — completely
  24. field — for sport

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