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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. row — a line
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitch — completely
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — to paddle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — a weight
  24. patient — a sick person

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