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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitch — completely
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. current — of water

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