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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — there
  3. field — for sport
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — all right
  10. field — a subject
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — child
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — the fish
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — the time now
  19. field — farmland
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — a gift
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — low music

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