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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitch — completely
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fork — a garden tool

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