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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cap — a lid
  19. band — a ring
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. band — a music group
  24. hide — animal skin

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