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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — a trail
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — of the year
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — size or range
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bark — to shout

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