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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. last — final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — a permit
  12. last — finally
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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