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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. spell — magic
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. racket — for tennis

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