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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. date — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — for sport
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. field — a subject
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. field — farmland
  22. rock — music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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