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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — finally
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. suit — to fit
  17. last — final
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bat — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. object — to protest
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. branch — of a bank

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