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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: net · racket · pitch · hide · field · mine · stem · dip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. net — for catching
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — in sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. racket — for tennis

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