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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — a company
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. firm — decided
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. leaves — to go away

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