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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. season — in sport
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. scale — size or range
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — a hint
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bark — to shout
  24. scale — in music

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