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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — to fit
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitch — completely
  5. squash — the sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. capital — money
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — for a lock
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — in cards
  18. key — the most important part
  19. capital — a city
  20. last — final
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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