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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — a measure

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