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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 · content · squash · pitch · track · deal · saw · pop

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. track — a path
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. squash — the sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. saw — the tool
  15. content — happy
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitch — completely
  22. field — farmland
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pop — music

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