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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. court — for sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. court — of law
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fork — in a road
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — final
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — finally

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