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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rash — a series

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