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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. game — a match
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — completely
  14. game — wild animals
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — of ice
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  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