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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. field — for sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. field — a subject
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — a division
  13. ball — a dance
  14. toast — bread
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ball — a great time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — a face
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. toast — the most admired

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