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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: bay · pitcher · bound · season · tear · hide · row · scale

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. season — in sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — a line
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — size or range
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — in music

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