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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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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: fall · pit · kick · toast · cue · content · rule · pitch

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fall — the season
  3. pit — a hole
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. content — happy
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — completely
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — a hint
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. toast — bread
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — a law
  24. kick — in football

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