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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. march — the month
  5. court — of law
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mug — a face
  11. rush — hurry
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. net — after costs
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. court — for sport
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — to rob
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chest — a box

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