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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: cell · pitch · chest · field · leaves · wave · fine · bay

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — all right
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chest — a box
  12. pitch — completely
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. field — a subject
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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