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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitch — completely
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — for digging
  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