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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — help
  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