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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: leaves · season · pitch · field · file · stem · bass · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. field — farmland
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a document
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. season — of the year
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. field — for sport

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