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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · fall · chair · toast · pit · pitcher · rush · cap

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. toast — bread
  13. cap — of ice
  14. spell — letters
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spell — magic
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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