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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. game — a match
  3. field — farmland
  4. rest — a break
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — for sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. field — a subject
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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