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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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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: racket · lie · hide · pitch · last · fan · bank · pound

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. last — final
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. racket — a loud noise

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