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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. capital — money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. march — 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