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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — a box
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rush — hurry
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — completely

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