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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — a coil
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — for golf
  24. cue — a signal

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