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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: kick · lash · pass · ground · fall · field · mark · pitch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. field — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. field — farmland
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ground — a position

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