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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a grade
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — completely
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. game — a match
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — to keep track
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — a path
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. track — a song
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — to pay attention

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