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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: ground · stand · rule · field · key · deal · pitch · roll

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — crushed
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — the earth
  8. field — for sport
  9. rule — government
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ground — a position
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — in music
  19. roll — a list
  20. field — farmland
  21. key — for a lock
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — to bear

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