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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cue — a signal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bark — of a tree

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