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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pass — a permit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. drill — army training

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