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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. season — of the year
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — a thing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — for betting
  13. perch — the fish
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chip — to eat
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — to protest
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — in sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. perch — for a bird

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