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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. field — for sport
  14. toast — bread
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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