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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · foot · bear · pitch · hide · dip · hand · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. hand — help
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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