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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — a cup
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — help
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in biology

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