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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — a safe
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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