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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. club — for dancing
  3. land — ground
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. club — a group
  6. cue — a hint
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. firm — decided
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cap — a lid
  12. club — for golf
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — of ice
  15. land — a country
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — steady
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a hat
  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