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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 preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — for sport
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — in control
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — to come from
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — a subject
  24. fall — to drop

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