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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — tied together
  7. land — to come down
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — to bear
  12. season — of the year
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. game — a match
  21. land — ground
  22. bound — certain
  23. game — wild animals
  24. season — in sport

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