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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. march — the month
  19. land — to come down
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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