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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — clothes
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. suit — to fit
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — in cards
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. tear — from crying

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