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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. net — in sport
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — child
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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