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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — farmland
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — a box
  7. march — music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — completely
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chest — of your body
  21. field — a subject
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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