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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. present — a gift
  13. ground — the earth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — goods
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stock — shares
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. wake — a trail
  24. leaves — of a tree

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