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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hand — help
  9. race — the arms race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bark — to shout
  16. net — after costs
  17. race — humankind
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — a contest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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