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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 116 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: race · mug · field · pitch · ball · bound · bear · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — humankind
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — a contest
  17. field — a subject
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. field — farmland
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — tied together

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