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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. field — farmland
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. court — of law
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pit — a hole
  24. court — of a king

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