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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chair — a leader
  18. field — farmland
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fine — a penalty

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