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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — completely
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — a song
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. track — a path
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — of law
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — high quality

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