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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · pitch · coach · spell · key · season · calf · cold

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — there
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — a gift
  13. spell — letters
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. present — the time now
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cold — not warm
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — the most important part

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