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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — to push
  22. kid — child
  23. lie — an untruth
  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