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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 · fall · spell · fan · scale · mate · stick · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — magic
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fall — the season
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a friend

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