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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rash — hasty
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kid — child
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — thin
  14. suit — in cards
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a leader
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cap — a hat

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