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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: pitch · kick · hide · ball · present · spring · net · bass

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. net — for catching
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. present — the time now
  12. net — in sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hide — animal skin

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