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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. field — a subject
  9. capital — a city
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pitch — completely
  20. row — a line
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. suit — to fit

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