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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: field · track · pit · pitch · ruler · leaves · mug · chair

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chair — a leader
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mug — a face
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. field — for sport
  23. track — a path
  24. field — farmland

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