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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pound — a weight
  11. band — a ring
  12. toast — bread
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mug — to rob
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. game — a match
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — a kind of play

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