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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · rash · racket · mate · leaves · pitch · court · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mate — a friend
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — hasty
  16. court — of law
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a partner

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