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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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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: chair · pitch · firm · track · racket · mug · bay · cell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — completely
  13. track — a path
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. cell — in biology
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — a leader

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