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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · rest · pitch · fall · field · spell · fine · game

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. game — a match
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitch — completely
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — farmland
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — all right

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