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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: row · mug · season · board · fall · hide · clip · pitch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pitch — completely
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. clip — to cut
  18. row — a line
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — to keep secret

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