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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — for sport
  3. march — the month
  4. last — finally
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. board — a committee
  13. march — music
  14. stem — to come from
  15. last — final
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. field — farmland
  22. last — to go on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. field — a subject

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