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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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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: season · leaves · staff · pitch · straw · racket · cue · chair

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitch — completely
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — a signal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a hint
  20. staff — a stick
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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