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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. field — for sport
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. game — a match
  15. field — farmland
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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