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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. file — a line of people
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for dancing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a document
  22. stand — to bear
  23. march — music
  24. saw — the tool

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