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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. present — the time now
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — for digging
  8. present — there
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. club — for golf
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — to come from
  24. club — a group

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