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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
468
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 · coach · hand · chest · pit · mark · mug

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mug — a face
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hand — in cards
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — a box
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitch — completely
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. coach — a trainer

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