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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: lie · pitch · deal · ground · hand · field · arm · fan

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ground — the earth
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — a supporter

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