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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 · spring · pass · pitch · foot · club · coach · fork

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pass — a permit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. club — a group
  12. fall — the season
  13. spring — the season
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fall — to drop
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fork — to eat with

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