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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — magic
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fine — high quality
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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