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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spell — letters
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — the month

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