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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — of water
  7. fine — all right
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — the season
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — completely

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