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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — for sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. spell — magic
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — a subject
  21. content — the amount
  22. field — farmland
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — a weight

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