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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — crushed
  4. suit — to fit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pop — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — the sport

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