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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: racket · cold · ball · mark · hide · plane · pit · bay

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cold — not warm
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ball — a great time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. racket — for tennis

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