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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a music group
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ball — a dance
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a ring
  22. rest — a break
  23. march — music
  24. rest — what's left

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