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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: bass · content · toast · coach · rule · last · chair · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitch — completely
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. content — happy
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — low music
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. content — the amount
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — bread
  19. last — finally
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bass — the fish

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