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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chair — a leader
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — to sit on

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