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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: cell · cold · racket · hide · pit · toast · craft · pitcher

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cold — not warm
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cold — an illness
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. toast — bread
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — a phone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cell — in biology
  24. racket — for tennis

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