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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · racket · chair · can · date · stick · calf · spring

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — the season
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spring — of water
  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