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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stem — to come from
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bass — low music
  24. pound — for dogs

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