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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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