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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fork — in a road
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. field — farmland
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. field — a subject
  19. court — of a king
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. court — of law

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