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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — crushed
  4. season — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — to handle
  20. field — farmland
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. deal — an agreement

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