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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. present — there
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — clothes

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