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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cell — a phone
  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