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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — a group
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of law
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. club — for golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. court — of a king
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for dancing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. toast — bread
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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