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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: pitch · firm · hide · spring · row · kid · fine · chest

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. chest — of your body
  6. spring — of water
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kid — child
  16. firm — decided
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — a box
  20. spring — the season
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — steady
  24. chest — of your body

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