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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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