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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. file — a document
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — size or range
  12. file — a tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — to breed
  20. game — a match
  21. scale — in music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — for weighing

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