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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — a skill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — for catching

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