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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
468
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: fan · fall · fork · spell · last · club · pitch · squash

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — the season
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. last — final
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. last — to go on
  24. fork — in a road

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