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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — a price
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fine — all right
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. net — after costs
  24. fine — a penalty

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