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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: pitch · present · mug · suit · chair · squash · nail · rash

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mug — a face
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. suit — to fit

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