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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 120 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 an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — an aim
  5. field — for sport
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. row — to paddle
  10. field — farmland
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — happy
  14. object — a thing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — to protest
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — to be able to

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