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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. club — a group
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — for golf
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. season — of the year
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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