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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · lean · pit · arm · file · board · leaves · field

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lean — thin
  3. field — for sport
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — in a race
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a document
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — to get on
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — a subject
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. board — a committee
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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