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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — a break
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitch — completely
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. net — after costs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — a line
  24. bear — to put up with

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