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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — a match
  10. present — the time now
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rest — a break
  13. tear — from crying
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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