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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 120 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: chip · cue · hide · calf · pitch · pound · straw · pit

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chip — in a computer

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