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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — a subject
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. season — of the year
  19. mug — to rob
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. field — for sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. rule — government
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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