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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cell — a phone
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — in sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. cell — in biology
  19. firm — decided
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. firm — a company

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