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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — a container
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — a coil
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spring — the season
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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