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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — decided
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bear — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — help
  13. mug — to rob
  14. track — a path
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a face
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. firm — steady
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — 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