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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — the season
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — electric
  24. date — on the calendar

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