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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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