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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 116 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: pit · stick · leaves · bass · ground · board · spring · saw

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spring — of water
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — a position
  14. board — to get on
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — low music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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