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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · stand · fork · leaves · mouse · bat · pitch · fall

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — the season
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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