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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a hole
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rock — music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. band — a ring
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pit — in a race

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