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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pound — a weight
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. fall — the season
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ground — crushed
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

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