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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitch — completely
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — for sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stand — to bear
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bat — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. court — of law

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