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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. present — the time now
  15. net — in sport
  16. lean — to bend
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitch — completely

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