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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a lid
  8. field — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. field — a subject
  17. present — the time now
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — obliged
  21. present — a gift
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — farmland
  24. present — there

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