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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. swing — in golf
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — a container
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cold — an illness
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — for tennis

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