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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a path
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitch — completely
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a song
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — a subject
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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