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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 116 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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468
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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. drill — army training
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — letters
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spell — magic
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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