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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — crushed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cue — a signal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — a position

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