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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a grade
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — for sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. roll — a list
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a trace
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cap — of ice

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