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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a match
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spring — of water
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spring — the season
  16. court — of a king
  17. season — of the year
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of law
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. court — for sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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