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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fine — all right
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. leaves — of a tree

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