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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: hide · band · chip · board · foot · pitch · kid · craft

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a music group
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. kid — to tease
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chip — for betting
  19. board — to get on
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kid — child
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitch — completely

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