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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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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 · saw · bowl · cap · land · hide · fan · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — a lid
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. land — ground
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. land — a country
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — to come down
  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