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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: lean · pop · bat · wind · bay · hide · mouse · pitch

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — thin
  7. pop — soda
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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