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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · jam · foot · last · deal · march · dip · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. march — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — completely
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. suit — clothes
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. march — the month
  22. last — final
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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