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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.

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: leaves · field · cap · mouse · suit · staff · swing · fall

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — a hat
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — to fit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fall — the season
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fall — to drop

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