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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · scale · hide · pit · fan · mark · pitch · straw

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. mark — a trace
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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