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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — finally
  3. season — in sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. last — to go on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — for a lock
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. last — final
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. key — in music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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