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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · cabinet · suit · chair · toast · pitch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. 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. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitch — completely
  18. 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