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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chest — a box
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. season — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — a position
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — the earth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. board — a committee

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