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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mine — for digging
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. scale — size or range
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — to bear

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