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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: racket · straw · mug · ball · pitch · cell · rest · lean

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mug — a face
  5. lean — thin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a round shape

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