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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. file — a tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fine — all right
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. march — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — to come from
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — lets stay

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