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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — happy
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. content — the amount
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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