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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. row — a line
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mate — a partner
  22. last — final
  23. craft — boats
  24. bank — for money

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