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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. track — a path
  10. suit — in cards
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — for sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. track — a song
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. deal — to handle

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