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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. present — a gift
  5. swing — in golf
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — in a race
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — there
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. swing — music

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