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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fine — high quality
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rash — a series
  24. chair — to sit on

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