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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. last — finally
  10. game — a match
  11. current — of water
  12. last — final
  13. current — electric
  14. game — wild animals
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — to go on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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