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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — a container
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — soda
  12. field — a subject
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — for sport
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spell — letters

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