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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ground — a position
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — a stone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. file — a document
  17. ground — the earth
  18. game — a match
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a tool
  22. rock — music
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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