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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. last — final
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. last — finally
  24. racket — for tennis

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