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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. season — in sport
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — the animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. club — a group
  13. board — a committee
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — the cause
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a word
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — of a plant

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