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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · pound · pitch · pit · staff · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pound — a weight
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pit — a hole

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