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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: field · plane · bulb · pitch · game · stand · current · calf

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a match
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. field — farmland
  17. current — electric
  18. field — a subject
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — of water

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