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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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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. scale — in music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — shares
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — to roll

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