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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — for pool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rock — music

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