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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. key — in music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cap — a lid
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — the most important part
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — for a lock
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitch — completely

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