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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. date — the fruit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — in music
  17. cell — in biology
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — of a river

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