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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 · foot · rash · straw · spring · ball · pitch · jam

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. suit — in cards
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — clothes

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