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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pop — soda
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ground — a position
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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