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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · suit · bark · chair · pitch · leaves · fall · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — to drop
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fall — the season
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bark — to shout
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ball — a great time

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