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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — a committee
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fall — the season
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. board — to get on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — size or range
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. date — the fruit

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