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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. land — a country
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — completely
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — after costs
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. prune — the fruit

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