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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pit — in a race
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. game — a match
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. season — of the year
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wake — a trail

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