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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. season — of the year
  24. leaves — lets stay

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