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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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 sports field
  2. board — a committee
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kid — to tease
  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