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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — in sport
  10. court — of law
  11. row — to paddle
  12. net — after costs
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fall — the season
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. mug — a face
  24. court — of a king

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