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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — help
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mug — a cup
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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