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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: fine · suit · pitcher · stick · object · bat · bound · foot

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fine — all right
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — a thing
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. suit — clothes
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — in cards

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