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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cue — a signal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — child
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cue — for pool
  10. key — in music
  11. firm — decided
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — a grade
  14. firm — a company
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fall — the season
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — steady
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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