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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — to tease
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — the most important part
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — the season
  18. kid — child
  19. swing — in golf
  20. key — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fall — to drop

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