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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 120 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: pitch · foot · swing · current · sharp · suit · fall · march

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. swing — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. current — happening now
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — the season
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. march — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — the month
  18. current — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. current — electric
  21. suit — clothes
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — a measure

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