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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. firm — decided
  10. field — a subject
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — for sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. season — of the year
  16. bound — tied together
  17. firm — steady
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — farmland

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