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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 · toast · pit · bear · pitch · fan · chair · temple

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chair — a leader
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — to cool the air

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