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

Word bank: pitch · bay · deal · hide · drill · race · coach · mark

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — the arms race
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. race — a contest
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — a trace
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — humankind
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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