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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. game — a match
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. drill — army training
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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