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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 · pitch · rule · staff · mug · hand · spell · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — help
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. spell — letters
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. staff — employees

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