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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mine — for digging
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. suit — clothes
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitch — completely
  24. season — in sport

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