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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: stand · season · bark · pitch · face · bay · hide · bat

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pitch — completely
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. face — to confront

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