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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spring — of water
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mine — for digging
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spring — a coil
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pitch — completely
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sports field

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