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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitch — completely
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a line
  9. court — for sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fall — the season
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. branch — a division
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. branch — of a bank

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