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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — a box
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. board — to get on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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