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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spring — of water
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — to come down
  9. season — in sport
  10. roll — a list
  11. spring — a coil
  12. land — a country
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. land — ground
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitch — completely

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