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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mate — to breed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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