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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. season — of the year
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fall — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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