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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — to bear
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pop — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a match
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a list
  24. fall — the season

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