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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — there
  13. cap — a lid
  14. perch — the fish
  15. branch — a division
  16. field — farmland
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — a gift

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