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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 120 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 · present · pass · swing · pitch · game · bulb · lean

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — a gift
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. swing — music
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lean — thin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitch — completely
  24. field — farmland

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