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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. march — music
  3. field — farmland
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. field — a subject
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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