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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 124 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitch — completely
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — the season
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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