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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — thin
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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