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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bark — to shout
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitch — completely
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — in sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. net — for catching
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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