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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.

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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. suit — clothes
  17. file — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitch — completely
  21. file — a document
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cue — a hint

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