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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. land — ground
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — an aim
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stand — to bear
  10. object — a thing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kick — in football
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — from crying
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. craft — a skill

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