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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — a group
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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