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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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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: stick · kid · pit · game · mark · fall · pitcher · lean

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. kid — child
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a match
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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