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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chair — a leader
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. shower — rain
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — of the year
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — completely
  23. season — in sport
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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