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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: racket · pitch · spell · coach · last · suit · band · hide

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — magic
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a music group
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. spell — letters

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