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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. object — a thing
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — to protest
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a cup
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — to sit on

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