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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — in cards
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mate — a friend
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. suit — clothes
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — help

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