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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — farmland
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — a gift
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chest — a box
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — a subject
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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