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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 120 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: season · rush · field · snap · fine · rock · bay · pitch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. field — farmland
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — a stone
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. season — of the year
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — a penalty

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