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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. drill — the tool
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — a position
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — for pool
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. last — finally
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. last — final
  24. cue — a hint

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