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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — completely
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in biology
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. track — a path
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. track — to keep track
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — of the year
  24. cell — a phone

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