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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. can — to be able to

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