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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: tear · band · foot · suit · deal · pitch · last · sharp

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. last — final
  10. tear — to rip
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. sharp — clever
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. band — a ring
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — a measure
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — from crying
  24. foot — part of the body

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