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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 · pass · cold · foot · dip · rush · pitch · spell

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rush — hurry
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — completely
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — magic
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — not warm
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. foot — part of the body

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