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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ball — a great time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — a flat piece

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