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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a match
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. track — a path
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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