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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. band — a music group
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. firm — a company
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — completely
  12. court — for sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cue — for pool
  19. firm — steady
  20. toast — bread
  21. band — a ring
  22. court — of law
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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