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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: spell · season · mug · leaves · dip · fine · pitch · staff

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — to rob
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — completely
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — in sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — to go away

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