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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ground — a position
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chair — a leader
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mark — a grade
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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