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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wake — a trail
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. present — the time now
  8. race — a contest
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — of ice
  11. race — humankind
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — there
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. present — a gift
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a path
  24. mug — a face

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