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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: hide · can · field · rule · pitch · ball · fan · band

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — a subject
  4. can — to be able to
  5. field — farmland
  6. rule — government
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. field — for sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. band — a ring
  24. ball — a round shape

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