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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — of water
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. racket — a loud noise

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