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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bound — certain
  9. club — for golf
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — a hat
  12. field — a subject
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — a group
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. scale — in music

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