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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cap — of ice
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — music
  8. firm — a company
  9. swing — to play on
  10. game — a match
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — a hole
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pit — in a race
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. game — wild animals
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. firm — steady

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