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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — music
  3. band — a music group
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. swing — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. band — a ring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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