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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — the underground
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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