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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wake — a trail
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitch — completely
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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