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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a dance
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ground — a position
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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