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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — completely
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitcher — a jug

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