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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a document
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. chest — of your body
  10. file — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chest — a box
  24. file — a line of people

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