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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — to crush
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a line
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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