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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — an aim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — to protest
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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