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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. band — a ring
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. net — after costs
  14. charge — electricity
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stand — to bear
  20. charge — a price
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — 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