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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: pitch · suit · field · spring · bowl · fork · sharp · bound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — for sport
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. field — farmland
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — a subject
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spring — the season
  24. bowl — a football final

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