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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. field — for sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitch — completely

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