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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a path
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. foot — a measure
  7. perch — the fish
  8. net — for catching
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — completely
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. track — a song
  18. rock — a stone
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. field — a subject

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