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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: suit · nail · season · fall · swing · saw · sharp · pitch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitch — completely
  8. suit — in cards
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. swing — to play on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — to fit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. sharp — exactly

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