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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. capital — money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fall — to drop
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — in sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fine — all right

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