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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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Word bank
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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: track · bowl · hide · pitch · toast · swing

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitch — completely
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — a football final

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