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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. field — farmland
  3. tear — from crying
  4. field — for sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — a subject
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — a hint

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