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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. season — of the year
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — in sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sports field

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