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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
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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: racket · hide · key · cold · pitcher · rest · saw · suit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cold — not warm
  24. saw — the tool

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