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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · board · jam · pitch · bear · field · pitcher · kid

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — farmland
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. field — a subject
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kid — child
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. field — for sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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