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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chest — a box
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — in music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chair — a leader
  24. coach — a trainer

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