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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a committee
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. field — a subject
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — farmland
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lie — an untruth

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