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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — the amount
  8. drill — a practice
  9. last — final
  10. content — happy
  11. ground — a position
  12. pop — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — soda
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. last — finally
  20. ground — the earth
  21. club — for golf
  22. drill — the tool
  23. last — to go on
  24. suit — to fit

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