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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 · deal · calf · wake · cell · roll · hide · race

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. roll — a list
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. race — a contest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wake — a trail
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — a phone
  22. deal — to handle
  23. race — humankind
  24. roll — a cake

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