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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. charge — in control
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — a song
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — the month
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rock — a stone
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — music
  15. track — a path
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. march — the month
  19. season — of the year
  20. march — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — completely

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