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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a line of people
  9. last — final
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. club — for golf
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. last — finally
  20. club — for dancing
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — lets stay

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