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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. kid — child
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — farmland
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. land — a country
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — completely
  17. land — ground
  18. field — for sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. land — to come down

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