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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — in control
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — a price
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — music
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young animal

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