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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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Word bank
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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: suit · cap · pitch · board · spring · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spring — the season
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rest — a break
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — a coil

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