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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: rock · pitch · fall · suit · tear · cap · foot · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rock — a stone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — clothes
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. foot — the bottom

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