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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. firm — a company
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — a measure
  5. firm — decided
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. club — for golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — steady
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fall — the season
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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