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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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 — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — child
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. swing — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitch — completely
  21. swing — to play on
  22. band — a ring
  23. face — to confront
  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