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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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