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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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 — animal skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — wild animals
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. present — there
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. present — the time now
  9. hand — help
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. game — a match
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pit — in a race
  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