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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 124 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. lean — to bend
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — for sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — army training
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — thin
  15. court — of law
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — after costs

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