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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · suit · field · spring · bowl · fork

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. field — for sport
  18. spring — of water

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