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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fine — all right
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. court — of law
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — the season
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. suit — in cards
  15. club — for golf
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. court — of a king
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. court — for sport
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. suit — clothes

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