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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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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — letters
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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