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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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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: rule · present · pitch · face · bay · field · toast · row

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — a gift
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. face — to confront
  5. present — there
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rule — government
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. present — the time now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. toast — bread
  20. row — to paddle
  21. field — for sport
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. row — a line

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