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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: hide · board · pitch · wave · shower · kid · club · bear

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kid — child
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wave — of the sea

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