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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · mark · foot · pitch · stand · season · mine · hide

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stand — to bear
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — a measure
  24. hide — to keep secret

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