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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stand — on your feet

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