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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: pitch · stick · toast · chair · trunk · racket · fine · firm

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fine — high quality
  9. toast — bread
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — completely
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fine — all right
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — a sports field

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