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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — for sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pound — a weight
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. field — a subject
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rash — a series
  17. field — farmland
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitch — completely

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