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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. mate — a friend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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