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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — to protest
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rest — a break
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chest — a box
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — a thing
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. object — an aim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ball — a dance
  24. season — of the year

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