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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — the animal

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