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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. track — a song
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ground — the earth
  23. net — after costs
  24. stand — for spectators

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