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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — for digging
  6. net — in sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — a container
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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