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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — in a race
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pop — to visit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pit — a hole
  18. prune — to trim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. racket — a loud noise

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