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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — a subject
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. plane — a tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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