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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — completely
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — after costs

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