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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — after costs
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pit — in a race
  24. net — in sport

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