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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. season — of the year
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. season — in sport

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