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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. field — a subject
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. root — the cause
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. field — farmland
  11. root — of a word
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — soda
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. root — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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