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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. season — of the year
  3. track — a song
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. field — a subject
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. club — a group
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — for sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — completely
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — farmland
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — with an edge

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