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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. file — a document
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ball — a great time

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