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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitch — completely
  9. track — a song
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. snap — to click
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fine — all right
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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