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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitch — completely
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — of law
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. track — a song
  20. squash — the sport
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — to crush

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