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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. firm — decided
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — steady
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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