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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: pop · can · sharp · field · pitch · deal · rock · date

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. field — farmland
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pop — soda
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rock — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. date — the fruit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. field — for sport
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. field — a subject

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