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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — there
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — a price
  9. field — a subject
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — for sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. present — the time now
  24. season — in sport

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