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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kid — child
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stock — shares
  8. game — a match
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. kid — to tease
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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