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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — to tease
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — rain
  24. pit — in a race

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