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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. clip — for paper
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — completely

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