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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: mug · pitch · kid · bay · hand · hide · track · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — child
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitch — completely
  17. track — a path
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hand — help

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