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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ball — a dance
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — all right
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — to go on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ball — a great time
  11. last — final
  12. bark — to shout
  13. last — finally
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bark — of a tree

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