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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — all right

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