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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: pitch · rule · bay · sharp · chair · fine · hide · wind

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitch — completely
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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