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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. land — ground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. season — of the year
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. club — a group
  18. season — in sport
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. field — a subject
  22. land — a country
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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