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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spring — of water
  11. bound — obliged
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spring — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. game — a kind of play

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