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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — farmland
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — a song
  19. court — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. court — of law
  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