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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 120 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: cap · pitch · bat · squash · foot · deal · mate · hide

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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