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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. firm — steady
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitch — completely
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — a company
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — an aim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — in sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — decided
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. sharp — with an edge

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