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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 120 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — a lid
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stand — to bear

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