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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a partner
  17. squash — the sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. foot — a measure

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