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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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