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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bat — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a document
  17. press — to push
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a tool
  24. court — of law

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