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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spell — magic
  20. key — in music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to confront

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