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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fall — the season
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — for a lock
  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