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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bass — low music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. field — a subject
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spell — letters
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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